Tuesday, February 8, 2011

How often do you get surprises from family, friends, or colleagues? Me? I rarely get one of those. A handful of them are either bad news or things that just caught me off guard. But quite fairly, there are also a great percentage of these surprises that made me enormously happy and almost teary-eyed.

And one of those good surprises happened today...

Read on...

Earlier today, I dropped by at Systems Generators Philippines, Inc.’s (SYSGEN) office and had my one of those “left-open-mouthed” moments. I went there to get my cake, because that has been a tradition that they are devotedly doing for quite some time now, I guess. It is their way of showing their love and appreciation for their consultants like me.

There is a little spoiler to it, I know, because my colleagues, who have been with them quite longer, told me about this before. So, I am kind of already expecting a cake from them.

Anyway, going back to the story, I went there and waited for Ms. April Tan. After a while, she came in to meet me at the lobby. We were having a little chit-chat when I noticed that all of the employees rose from their desks. I was a bit disturbed because they were like all over the place. So, I just pretended unruffled by what was going on and continued talking to Ms. April.Just moments after that, the whole crew sang “Happy Birthday” in unison and someone came in from the corner holding my lovely cake!

I was flabbergasted!

I was speechless!

I was BLOWN AWAY!

I held the cake, stared at the candle for a second, uttered a little thank-you-prayer, and blew it. They clapped their hands, all-smiles. Then each one of them greeted me “Happy Birthday” as they all went back to their respective desks.

Isn’t it fantastic?

I never thought it will happen to me. Really. Well, of course, I wouldn’t lie that I’ve always wished for it. But I thought I would get it from friends, loved-ones or whatever. But, not from them. I am not implying any negative innuendo, let me clear that. But let’s get the facts straight:

First, they are, collectively, my bosses.

Second, we just talk business most of the time.

Third, I never get to hang out with them. (Well, once when they threw a party last December.)

Fourth, I never even knew their names. Well, for most of them. (Which I think is bad.)

I can count in one hand the number of people whom I speak to and exchange e-mails and SMS with. Geez! They are strangers to me as I am to them.

But right now as I coyly think of that moment again, I realized that THAT is exactly what made it more special—experiencing it from them!

It’s quite given that they don’t know me personally, and yet they rose from their little, neat desks to sing a birthday song for me. And I really mean this, in my heart of hearts, that moment is inarguably so special to me.

I can’t even thank them enough. I know that a

simple “thank you” is quite unfitting to express how much I have appreciated their time, their generosity, and their thoughtfulness.

But then again, I said this awhile back, and I’ll say it again—In the truest sense of the word, THANK YOU!